Lok Sabha Election 2024: What’s happening at BJP, NDA seat-sharing talks?

Karnataka

The BJP is currently in talks with its new alliance partner, the Janata Dal (Secular), in Karnataka — the state which sends 28 members to the Lok Sabha. The Indian Express cited sources as saying that the BJP offered the JD(S) three seats during the first round of talks held at the residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

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According to the report, the BJP offered the HD Kumarawamy’s party Hassan and Mandya seats. “The BJP also offered the choice of a third seat from among Kolar, Bengaluru Rural and Tumkur,” JD(S) sources were quoted as saying. Notably, all the seats offered to the JD(S) are in the Vokkaliga belt in Southern Karnataka.

However, the JD(S) wants to contest the polls in five Lok Sabha constituencies. The party has reportedly demanded one seat in north Karnataka.

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After the recent meeting, HD Kumaraswamy, the Karnataka JD(S) chief and former chief minister, said Amit Shah told him that he would discuss the process of JD(S) officially joining the NDA and seat allocation after the completion of the consecration of Rama temple in Ayodhya in the presence of Nadda.

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Earlier in September 2023, the Hindustan Times reported that the BJP had “agreed to let it (JDS) contest on four seats — Kolar, Hassan, Mandya and Bengaluru rural” even as the JD(S) wanted to contest from Mandya, Hassan, Tumakuru, Chickballapur and Bengaluru Rural.

The JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA in September after a meeting Kumaraswamy, a former Chief Minister, had with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda in New Delhi.

The BJP had swept the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka by winning 25 seats, while an independent (Sumalatha Ambareesh from Mandya) backed by it won one seat. The Congress and JD(S) won one seat each. The JD(S) contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the Congress.

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Assam

Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita said on January 10 that the NDA partners – BJP, AGP and UPPL – will sit in February and discuss about the seats. “It will be finalised in that joint meeting only,” he was quoted by PTI as saying.

Assam has 14 Lok Sabha seats, of which nine are currently represented by the BJP, three by the Congress and one each by the AIUDF and an Independent. This time, the NDA is targeting at least 12 seats out of 14 during the Lok Sabha elections, Kalita said.

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Bihar

The BJP plans to keep at least 30 of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats with itself and offer the rest of the seats to its NDA partners, Times of India reported earlier in January. In Bihar, the BJP is in alliance with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Upendra Kushwaha’ Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) and Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular HAM-S.

The Hindustan Times reported that the BJP may be fielding candidates from the 17 seats it won in 2019. It might also contest 13 out of 16 seats which were won by its former partner, the Janata Dal (United).

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Besides, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP)president Om Prakash Rajbhar demanded four Lok Sabha seats from Bihar, including Nawada, Valmiki Nagar, Siwan, and Karakat Lok Sabha seats, Rajbhar’s son had told PTI.

Uttar Pradesh

SBSP president Om Prakash Rajbhar reportedly demanded five Lok Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh. Rajbhar’s son and SBSP’s chief spokesperson Arun Rajbhar said earlier that in his meetings with Amit Shah and JP Nadda, his father asked for his party, Ghazipur, Ballia, Mau, Salempur and Chandauli Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

The SBSP contested the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election in alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and won six seats. The party broke ties with the SP and joined the BJP-led NDA.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier asserted that the BJP would contest 26 out of 48 seats in the state. He said later that a seat-sharing formula for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would be decided after holding discussions with allies.

The BJP and Shiv Sena (undivided) had contested 41 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in the 2019 elections, and won 23 and 18, respectively. Currently in power in Maharastra, the Mahayuti alliance comprises Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction).

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The Lok Sabha elections are expected to be held in April-May this year. All parties have geared up their preparations for the polls. The BJP government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been in power at the Centre for the past 10 years and the party is seeking a record third successive term in office.

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Published: 20 Jan 2024, 09:39 PM IST